Straddle-row cultivator.



PATENTED AUG. 23, I904.

\ T. H. CAMERON.

STRADDLE ROW GULTIVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 20, 1904.

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PATENTED AUG. 23, 1904.

T. H. CAMERON. STRADDLE ROW CULTIVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 20, 1904.

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PATENTED wags, 1904.- T. H. CAMERON. STRADDLE ROW GULTIVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 20, 1 904.

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Patented August 23, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS H. CAMERON, OF LINCOLN, NEBRASKA.

STRADDLE-ROW CULTIVATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 768,263, dated August23, 1904.

Application filed January 20, 1904- Serial No. 189,935. (No model.)

To (1 whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS H. GAMnRoN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Lincoln, in thecounty of Lancaster and State oflower thecultivating appliances with a mini-- mum exertion on the part of theoperator, and which lmposes on the necks of the draft-animals nopressure in a vertical direction.

A further object is to produce a machine of this character of simple,compact, strong,

and durable construction.

With these and other objects, as hereinafter appear, the inventionconsists in certain novel and peculiar features of construction andcombinations of parts, as hereinafter described and claimed, and inorder that it may be fully understood reference is to be had to the ac-'companying drawings, in which" Figure 1 represents an inner side view ofthe right-hand gang of a cultivator embodying my invention, thecultivating appliance being shown as lowered for engagement with theground. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the gang with the cultivatingappl-ianoe raised to inoperative position. F 1g. 3 represents a verticallongitudinal section on the line III- III of Fig. 2. Fig. 4L is a detailview Showtheir front ends to opposite sides of and in the samehorizontal plane as the tongue, the longitudinal arms of said angle-barsbeing parallel and projecting beyond the rear end of the tongueaconsiderable distance. angle-bars constitute the lower frame of themachine, and journaled 1n bearing-brackets at the desired point on thesector. These shaft 4:, having at the outer sides of said frameupwardly-projectingcrank-arms 5, terminating in outwardly-projectingarms 6, and journaled .on said shaft at the inner side of thebearing-brackets are bars 7, bolted at their front ends to the rear endof the tongue and serving to brace and stiffen the side portions of theframe.

8 designates ground-wheels of the usual or any preferred type, journaledupon the lower ends of arms? in the usual or any preferred manner, andsaid arms 9 are formed at their upper ends withbearing-looxes 10, whichare journaled on the shaft and are prevented from lateral movement bythe collars 11,

rnounted adjustably upon the shaft.

Pivotally connected to the lower ends of arms 9 are a pair of links 12,having an adjustable connection at their front ends with the dependingarms 13, secured rigidly to and forming cranks of the transverse shaft14, said-shaft being preferably of the rectangular gas-pipe type andjournaled at its ends in bearing-brackets 15, secured rigidly to anddepending from the side portions of the framebars 2.

15 designates crank-arms secured rigidly upon the ends of shaft 14outward-of said frame or formed integral therewith, if desired, thesecrank-arms extending parallel with crank-arms 5 and terminating inoutwardly-projecting arms 16, like arms 6, the latter being journaled inbearing-brackets 17 and the former in bearing-brackets 18, dependingrigidly from a horizontally-disposed Ushaped' frame 20, hereinaftertermed the upper frame, spring-cotters 19 or their equivalents engagingarms 6 and 16 to guard against disengagement of said arms and saidbrackets.

At its front and inner corner the upper frame rigidly carries a sector21, on which is pivoted a lever 22, provided with the usual latchmechanism 23 to lock the lever rigidly This lever is provided with afoot portion 24, which is bent outward to avoid'conflict with thecontiguous end portion 16 of rock-shaftarms 15 and is fulcrumed, as at25, on the front end. of a swinging fulcrum-bar 26, said bar beingpivoted, as at 27, on the inwardly-projecting boss 28 of a bracket 29,riveted or otherwise rigidly secured to the front and inner corner ofthe lower frame.

The cultivating appliance carrying shaft consists of two rectangulargas-pipes 30, each journaled in one of the brackets 17 below andrearward of the point of said brackets, forming journals for theoutwardly-projecting ends of crank-arms 5. Secured upon the inner end ofeach gas-pipe section 30 is a quadrantshaped casting 31, provided with aseries of notches 32 in its periphery, said castings being connectedrigidly together at opposite ends of said series of notches by bolts 33,so that the two sections of the shaft shall operate as one.

34 designates a collar loosely engaging shaft 4 at its middle, and 35 aretractile spring connected at its lower end to said collar, as at 36,the upper end of said spring embracing and holding tightly the head of abolt 37, and secured adjustably upon said bolt below nut 38 is across-bar 39, formed at opposite sides of its center with handleportions 40 capable at their points of smallest diameter of fitting inregistering notches 32 of the segmental castings, the power of thespring of course holding the bar interlocked with said castings. Theobject of the retractile-spring connection between shaft 4 and shaft 30is hereinafter explained.

Secured rigidly on shaft 30 and of course capable of lateral adjustmentthereon, as customary in this type of machine, are bifurcated brackets41, having their rear ends laterally enlarged and provided with a seriesof holes 42 concentric of the pivot-bolts 43, bridging the bifurcationsand carried by said brackets.

44 represents arms fitting in said bifurcated brackets and pivoted onthe bolts 43 thereof, so as to be capable of swinging laterally, saidarms being adapted to be secured at the desired point of adjustment bythe bolts 45, which they carry and which engage one series or another ofholes 42, as will be seen by reference to Fig. 2. Journaled in the arms44 in the usual manner are arms 46, and swiveled to the rear ends ofsaid arms are castings 47, carrying shafts 48 as journals for thecultivating-disks 49. l The cultivating-shovels 50 are secured in anysuitable manner to the beams 51, pivoted. as at 52, for verticaloperation between the arms of segmental castings 53, secured rigidlyon'shaft 30 in any suitable manner, said castings having a series ofholes 54 arranged concentrically of pivots 52, pins or bolts 55, carriedby the beams, engaging one set or another of said holes for the purposeof securing the shafts in position to cultivate at different depths.

Secured rigidly to shaft 30 are arms 56,

pivotally connected by links 57 with the lower ends of bearing-l)rackets3, the object of this connection being to rotate shaft 3() wheneverlever 22 is manipulated for the purpose of lowering or raising frame 20.

\Vhen the machine is traveling to or from the field, or, in other words,when not performing its cultivating function, the parts are disposedsubstantially as shown in Fig. 3 that is, with the crank-arms 5 and 15substantially vertical, with the grouml-wheels centrally below shaft 4,and with the springretracted locking-bar 39 engaging notches of segments31 above the plane occupied by the centers of shafts 4 and 30, so thatthe retractive power of said spring shall be utilized as an aid tocrank-arms 56 and links 57 in holding the cultivating applianceselevated, the frames of course being locked in such relation by theengagement of latch mechanism 23 with sector 21. It will furthermore beseen by reference to Fig. 3 that with the parts thus disposed the weightof the machine is about balanced, because the seat-plank (not shown andof any suitable or preferred type common in this class of machines) fromwhich the driver is supported is slightly forward of crank-arms 6.

To throw the cultivating appliances into operative relation with theground, the lever, in approximately the position shown in Fig. 3, isgrasped by the driver and drawnrearwardly, which action by reason of thefact that said lever is supported from the upper frame and fulcrumodfrom the lower one, tends to throw said frames in opposite directions,the lower one forward and the upper one rearward, and in this connectionit will be noticed that combined with this rearward movement of thelever and materially assisting in effecting the adjustment described isthe forward pull of the draft-animals on the lower frame, the resultbeing the driver is enabled to lower the cultivating appliances with avery slight exertion of power on the lever. In fact, after the inertia.of the parts has been overcome by moving the upper frame just enough todispose the upper ends of the crank-shafts slightly rearward of theirbridge portions, the weight of the driver. the upper frame, and partssupported directly therefrom, are sufficient to lower the cultivatingappliances to the ground, the weight of said parts being suflicient toovercome the resistance offered to the initial part of such movement bythe retractile spring 35, it being understood that said spring oii'ersresistance to such movement until locking-bar 39 occupies the same planeas shaft 30 and the bridge portion 4 of the rear crank-shaft, afterwhich said spring materially assists such low ering action, and in thisconnection it will be noticed that to obtain this differential action ofthe spring it is necessary to rotate shaft 30 downward and rearward asit descends with theupper frame. This independent rotative action ofsaid shaft is effected because of the toggle-joint connection betweensaid shaft and a fixed point on the lower frame-'- workviz., the lowerends of bearing-brackets 3, the crank-arm's 56, and the links 57,constituting such toggle-joint.

shaft 4, this-disposition of said wheels being eflected because theircarrying-arms are pivotedon said shaft and have their lower endsconnected by the toggle constituted by link 12 and crank-arm 13 withshaft 14.

When the machine is in operation, as shown in Fig. 1, with the greaterportion of the weight on the cultivating appliances and rearward'of thecarrying-wheels, it is drawn-forward with the imposition of practicallyno. neck weight on the team, andthe greater the resistance on the actionof the cultivatingappliances the less the weight on the necks of theanimals, said weight being objectionable because it quicklyresults inmaking the necks of the animals sore.

In raising the cultivating appliances out of the ground by means of thelever the combined rearward movement of the carryingwheels and forwardmovement of the upper frame eventually throws the greater portion of theweight forward the carrying-Wheels, so that it is practically allimposed on the latter, and consequently may be drawn perfectly balanced,so that the neck-yoke shall not come upin the faces of thedraft-animals. In about the first half of this forward movement theresistance of spring 35 must be overcome, and then when the weight isgreatest the resistance of the spring ceases and immediately afterwardsaid spring cooperates in the elevatingoperation, as will be readilyunderstood,- the transference of the power of the spring to the point onthe segments above the plane occupied by shafts L and 30 assisting theoperator in the latter part of the elevating movement and in therearward movement of the ground-wheels to their original positionvertically under shaft 4. 'It will be seen that there are three positiveavenues to force the'cultivating appliances to their work independent oftheleVer firSt, the weight of the driver and the upper frame with theparts directly supported therefrom; se-

It will thusbe seen that gravity is assisted in embedding 00nd,theresistance of the cultivating appliances to upward movement aftertheir contact with the ground, and, third, the toggle-joint connectionbetween the rear crank-shaft and shaft 30. I I

The tendency of the ground-wheels to roll rearwardly under theresistance offered to forward movement of the machine under ordinaryconditions ofthe soil is not suflicient to overcome the tendency of thecultivating appliances to remainembedded in the ground, and for thisreason the machine-will operate under such conditions of the soilwithout looking the lever by means of the latch mechanism, and thereforerelieves the disk arms and shovel-beams of a great amount of strainordinarily imposed on them when locked when passing across ditches andother depressions in the ground, and in this connection the springcooperates in holding said appliances yieldingly in the ground, and thusconstitutes a fourth avenue independent of the lever in holding themachine to its work.

When the lever is unlatched, it is apparent that in crossing a ditch orother depression and the carrying-wheels roll therein the disks andshovels yield upwardly relatively, so that as the ground-wheels pass upout of theditch or depression and the disks and shovels enter the samesuccessively theysustain the weight of the driver, the upper frame, anddirectlyconnected parts, but are relieved of the entire strain whichwould beimposed upon them by the draft of the animals if the lever waslocked. The cultivating appliances thus cross the ditches in a flexiblecondition and perform their proper functions at all times.

By adjusting the locking-bar with relation to'the notched segments, sothat the strain shall always be below the plane of shafts 4: and 30, thespring can be utilized exclusively for resisting upward movement of theupper frame and the parts supported therefrom, or by adjusting saidlocking-bar a suflicient dis tance above'said plane with relation to thesegments the spring can be caused to always exert an upward pull uponthe upper frame and the parts supported thereby, it being obvious, ofcourse, that the adjustment of said' bar is effected by grasping itshandle portionsor ends 40, so as to stretch the spring and then move thebar rearward or forward to permit it to enter the desired notches of thesegments. By pulling forward on said spring at all times it is obviousthat there is no possibility of an abrupt'drop of' the cultivatingappliances at any time, the spring in such action obviously acting as acushion. Further more, the tension of the spring can be varied by theproper adjustment of nut 38.

The cultivating appliances and the wheels can be adjusted laterally inan obvious mann'er'to accommodate cultivation for the first time andsecond time over the field, and the machine is also adapted to beequipped with the usual fender (not shown) as forming no part of theinvention.

In the modified form shown in Fig. 4 it will be seen that theground-wheel arms are held I rigidly in a vertical position by reason ofthe fact that the front ends of the links 12 are connected directly toshaft 14 instead of forming a part of a toggle-joint connection betweensaid shaft and the ground-wheel arms. In this construction theground-wheel arms always maintain their position vertically under therear crank-shaft, making necessary a slightly-greater exertion of poweron the part of the operator to lower the cultivating appliances tooperative position, but simplifying and slightly eheapening theconstruction by dispensing with the crank-arms 13.

From the above description it will be apparent that I have produced astraddle-row cultivator embodying the features of advantage enumeratedas desirable, and while I have illustrated and described the preferredembodiment of the same it is to be understood that it is susceptible ofchange as regards its proportion, detail construction, and arrangementof the parts without departing'from its spirit and scope or sacrificingany of its advantages.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a straddle-row cultivator, a tongue, a wheeled frame attachedthereto, crank-shafts journaled in said frame and having their armsprojecting upwardly, an upper frame journaled on said arms, a rock-shaftsupported from the upper frame, cultivating appliances carried thereby,a toggle-joint between said shaft and the lower frame to impart rotarymovement to said shaft as the upper frame is raised or lowered, a levermounted on said upper frame, and a swinging fulcrum for said lever,mounted on the lower or tongue-carrying frame.

2. In a straddle-row cultivator, a tongue, a wheeled frame attachedthereto, crank-shafts journaled in said frame and having their armsprojecting upwardly, an upper frame journaled on said arms, a rock-shaftsupported from the upper frame, cultivating appliances carried thereby,a toggle-joint between said shaft and the lower frame to impart rotarymovement to said shaft as the upper frame is raised or lowered, aretractile-spring connection between the lower frame and said shaft, alever mounted on said upper frame, and a swinging "fulcrum for saidlever, mounted on the lower tongue-carrying frame.

3. In a straddle-row cultivator, a tongue, a wheeled frame attachedthereto, crank-shafts journaled in said frame and having their armsprojecting upwardly, an upper frame journaled on said arms, a rock-shaftsupported from the upper frame, cultivating appliances shaft and thelower frame, a segment carried by said rock-shaft, a retractile springconnected at its front end to the wheeled frame, and adjustablyconnected at its rear end to said segment, a lever mounted on said upperframe, and a swinging fulcrum for said lever, mounted on the lowertongue-carrying frame.

I. In a straddle-row cultivator, a tongue, a wheeled frame attachedthereto, crank-shafts journaled in said frame and having their armsprojecting upwardly, an upper frame journaled on said arms, a rock-shaftsupportml from the upper frame and comprising two alined portions,notched segments rigidly secured on the inner ends of said sections andrigid connections between the upper and lower corners of said segments,a retractile spring connected at its front end to the wheeled frame, across-bar connected to the rear end of said spring and adapted to engageregistering notches in said segments, cultivating appliances mounted onsaid shaft, a toggle-joint between the shaft and the wheeled frame, alever supported from the upper frame, and a swinging fulcrum for saidlever, supported from the lower or wheeled frame.

5. In a straddle-row cultivator, a tongue, a wheeled frame attachedthereto, crank-shafts journaled in said frame and having their armsprojecting upwardly, an upper frame journaled on said arms, a rock-shaftsupported from the upper frame and comprising two alined portions,notched segments rigidly secured on the inner ends of said sections andrigid connections between the upper and lower corners of said segments,a retractile spring connected at its front end to the wheeled frame, across-bar connected to the rear end of said spring and adapted to engageregistering notches in said segments, cultivating appliances mounted onsaid shaft, a togglejoint between the shaft and the wheeled frame, alever supported from the frame and provided with a latch mechanism, asector carried by the upper frame for engagement with said latchmechanism, and a swinging fulcrum for said lever, supported from thelower or wheeled frame.

6. In a machine of the characterdescribed, a tongue, a frame carriedthereby,- crankshafts journaled in said frame and having their armsprojectingupward l v,groulnl-wheelcarrying arms journaled at their upperends on the rear shaft, a toggle connection between said arms and thefront shaft, an upper frame journaled on the upper ends of saidcrankshafts, cultivating appliances supported from said upper frame, alever supported from the upper frame, and a swinging fulcrum for saidlever, supported from the lower frame.

7. Ina machine of the character described, a tongue, a wheeled framecarried thereby, crank-shafts journaled in said frame and hav ing theirarms projecting upwardly, groundllO carried thereby, a toggle-jointbetween said wheel-carrying arms journaled at their upper 3 ends on the"rear shaft, a toggle connection between said arms and the front shaft,an upper frame journaled on the upper ends of said crank-shafts, arock-shaft supported from the upper frame and equipped with cultivatingappliances, a toggle-joint between said rockshaftand the lower frame, alever supported from the upper frame, and a swinging fulcrum forsaidlever, supported from the lower frame. A

8. In a machine of the character described, a tongue, a wheeled framecarried thereby, crank-shafts journaled in said frame and having theirarms projecting upwardly, groundwheel-carrying arms journaled at theirupper ends on the rear shaft, a toggle connection between'said arms andthe front shaft, an up? per frame journaled on the upper ends of saidcrank-shafts, a rock-shaft supported from the upper frame and equippedwith cultivating appliances, a toggle-joint between-said rock- Intestimony whereof I affix my signature-in the presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS H, CAMERON.

Witnesses: I

CHARLES A. Gross, v I HARLEY G. MOORHEAD.

